The Choices We Make
by EvelynRose
Summary: One night, changed her life. One mistake, nearly ends his. A DonTerry romance fic. "Assassin" ending AU. Please RR! UPDATED! Chapters Six & Seven! Chapter 8 on the way! PLEASE REVIEW! Sorry about the long wait! Temporarily on hiatus, new chapter in the works
1. Disclaimer

Hi all!

If you've read any of my other stories, you know that I hate writing disclaimers at the beginning of every chapter, so I'm putting the disclaimer for the WHOLE story RIGHT HERE! Here we go:

I own absolutely nothing, except my lovely tickets to Varekai (don't ask.) Everything you recognize belongs to CBS and the creators of NUMB3RS, not me. All I own is the plot of this story (that I HOPE you're about to read ;)

Glad we cleared that up. I have a pretty good idea of where I want this story to go, but the ideas don't always come out as well on paper. So, because of that, and school and all of my extracurricular activities, updates might not be as frequent as I would like. I hope you all understand that, and will stick with me anyways!

I'm almost done rambling! Lastly (but not least!) I'd like to thank my beta reader Mariah, she's the best! (See you at school! lol!)

Without further ado, on with the story!

_EvelynRose_


	2. Prologue

**Prologue:**

**8:41pm Los Angeles, California: FBI Safe House**

Don and his team attempted to surround the assassin. They hollered at him to drop his weapon. Don approached the man, thinking that he was now unarmed. He was sorely mistaken. Before Don knew it, a gun was in his face. He reacted on instinct, firing his own weapon, catching Condor's left shoulder, before falling backwards with a bullet in his chest. He felt another bullet collide with his torso, before David and Colby managed to subdue the man. The last thing Don remembered was Megan calling for an ambulance and a back-up team.

"We have an agent down. We need paramedics and back-up in here now," Megan spoke urgently into her radio. She looked at her fallen partner's body. Don was out cold, blood beginning to blossom on his jacket. She guessed that the bullet had only gone through the vest because of the shooters close range, and the power of the gun. It looked pretty bad. She was no doctor, but she was almost positive that he had a bullet or two in one of his lungs. Megan bent down above Don and felt for his pulse. It was still there, but fading fast.  
"How is he?" asked David.  
"Not good," she replied.

A few minutes later, the paramedics arrived, along with the other team. Colby helped the Agents haul Condor out of the room, whilst an unconscious Don was lifted onto the waiting gurney.


	3. So Far Away

**So Far Away:**

**4:18pm Washington, DC: Terry's Apartment**

Agent Terry Lake had a problem. Two and a half months ago, she had left her Bureau job in Los Angeles, to take an urgent case in DC. The FBI had needed a profiler, and she'd been at the top of their list. Because of the nature of the case, she had been forbidden to tell her friends in LA her real reason for moving. At a loss for plausible excuses, Terry had told Don and everyone else that she'd moved back east to 'sort things out' with her ex. But that was far from the truth. There was only one man she wanted to be with, and he was on the other side of the country. That man had contributed to half of her problem, literally. She'd gone to the doctors last week to confirm her suspicions, and had then gone immediately to her supervisor's office. She had to be taken off the case. There was no way that she was going to work a case this dangerous while she was pregnant.

Yes, Terry Lake was pregnant. There was no doubt about it. She was late, had crazy mood swings, and had begun to eat odd foods. The five positive tests were no dead giveaway either. Terry had been putting off calling him for the last week. She was afraid of his reaction. She was overjoyed at the prospect of a child, but she kept thinking 'What if he doesn't want the baby?' She'd finally gathered up all her courage, and was planning to call him and tell him tonight. Just then, her cell phone rang. EPPES, DON read the caller ID window. 'Speak of the devil,' Terry thought.

"Lake," she answered.  
"Terry?" questioned the voice on the other end. It definitely wasn't Don.  
"Charlie?" Terry asked, confused. "Why are you using Don's phone?"  
"T-That's not important. Terry, something happened today…" he paused.  
"What Charlie, what happened?" she asked impatiently. She needed to talk to Don.  
"Don, he-he set up a safe house to trap this assassin, and he thought the guy was unarmed, an-and he was shot……Terry, Don was shot t-twice—" Charlie broke off, and Terry thought she heard him crying. Her breath caught in her throat. This wasn't just a graze on the arm, or a bullet in his leg. This was worse, but she had no idea just how bad it really was.  
"Charlie? Charlie, are you still there?" she spoke urgently into the phone, "Hello?"

A new voice got on the line, and Terry recognized it as Amita's.  
"Sorry about that Terry. Charlie's having a hard time with all of this. I guess we all are," Amita told her.  
"How bad is he?" Terry asked, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. At first, Amita didn't answer.  
"Amita?" Terry asked again. She had to know.  
"It's not looking too good right now. Don has two bullets in his right lung. He's up in surgery now. The doctors said that if he survives the night, that it's possible that he'll recover. But it'll take awhile, and he'll probably never work as a field agent again." Amita stopped, letting Terry take in all of the information. She felt bad for her friend. She would be devastated if something ever happened to Charlie, and was sure it was the same with Terry and Don.  
"Oh my god, I can't lose him. I just can't," Terry sobbed. Amita let her cry.  
"Are you going to be ok Terry?" she asked, after the sobs had subsided.  
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Terry replied, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. She wasn't going to cry anymore. She wouldn't let herself. She had to be strong. "Amita, can you give me your cell phone number? I'm going to call you as soon as I know when my plane is going to land," she told the younger woman.  
"You're coming out here? Are you sure you can get the time off?" Amita questioned.

Terry swallowed. She'd been planning on asking for a transfer back to the LA offices anyway, she might as well do that now. She didn't think she could handle going back, and not being able to stay. She had been taken off the case already, so there was really no reason for her to stay in D.C. any longer. Now she had two glaring reasons for going back to LA, reasons her supervisor would never be able to ignore.  
"Amita, if I tell you something, c-can you promise not to tell anyone?" Terry asked.  
"Of course, your secret's safe with me," Amita replied.  
"I'm not here to work things out with my ex."  
"You're not?"  
"I was put on a top secret case in Washington, and I couldn't tell any of you why I really left. But I've been taken off the case, so I'll be transferred back to LA now," Terry explained.  
"Why were you taken off the case?" Amita asked, thoroughly confused.  
"Well that's kind of complicated. See, I'm pregnant." There, at least Terry had told someone her secret.  
"Oh," she was stunned. Terry was pregnant, but she'd just said she wasn't there to get back together with her ex. That made no sense. Unless……no, it couldn't be. That was preposterous. They'd never risk their jobs for something like that, would they?  
"I've been putting off calling him all week. God, I should have called sooner, maybe then he'd have been more careful. What if I never get the chance to tell him? I don't think I could live with myself. I-I…" Terry broke down crying again. "What if-what if he-he d-dies? He'll never know, an-and—"  
Amita cut her off. "Terry, calm down, deep breaths, everything's going to be alright. You can 'What if' all night long, and it won't get you anywhere. I'm sure Don will be ok, and then you two can raise a family together. You have to think positively."  
Terry knew Amita was right. She had to have faith. "You're right Amita, I shouldn't be dwelling on all of the bad possibilities," Terry agreed.

"So, when are you due?" Amita asked, attempting to get Terry's mind off of Don's current condition.  
"In about six more months," she responded, her mood lightening slightly.  
"Right before you left then?"  
"Uh huh. Neither of us had really planned for it to happen, it just kind of…did. Then, I had to leave the next morning, so he drove me to the airport, we kissed goodbye, and that was it. I didn't really think anything else would come of it, I don't think he did either," Terry replied.

"He's really missed you, you know. He said he's ok with you leaving, but his real feelings are written al over his face. And you know how hard he is to read, even for you, and you're a profiler! Whenever your name is mentioned, he gets this faraway look in his eyes, it's obvious he's thinking about you," Amita told her. She was careful not to say his name.  
"Really?" Terry asked.  
"Yeah, Charlie and Mr. Eppes keep trying to set him up with different people, but he always seems to come up with some lame excuse not to go. I can't tell you how many times I've heard Mr. Eppes comment, to him and Charlie both, on the conspicuous lack of grandchildren." They both laughed.  
"I'm going to tell everyone when I get there, about the baby. They're all going to be so surprised. I'm sure it's the last thing anyone is expecting, given the situation," Terry paused. "Listen, I'm going to go and talk to my supervisor about my transfer, and then I'm going to make travel arrangements. I'll be out there as soon as I can. Promise you'll call me if anything happens? As soon as you know anything, and I mean anything, call me?" Terry asked.  
"Of course, I promise. I'll talk to you later Terry. Be careful, and congratulations," Amita replied.  
"Thanks Amita. Bye," she said.  
"Bye," Amita hung up.

"What were you congratulating Terry for?" Charlie asked, offering Amita one of the cups of coffee he had brought back from the cafeteria.  
"No reason, really, you'll find out later, after Terry gets here," she replied.  
"Come on Amita. Is she married again?" he guessed.  
"No."  
"Engaged?"  
"No," she said, more firmly this time.  
Charlie paused for a moment to think. Ordinarily, he wasn't this nosy, but he was worried about his brother, and he needed to do something to take his mind off of things. He had told himself that he wouldn't revert back to P vs. NP this time. Wrapping himself up in his math during a family crisis never turned out good for him. So, having heard the tail end of Amita and Terry's conversation, he was curious as to what the congratulations were for. He could only think of one other thing women congratulated each other for, and it was statistically unlikely in this case, but, what the heck. "Is she pregnant?" he tried.  
"I can't tell you Charlie. I promised Terry I wouldn't tell anyone, and that includes you." Amita wasn't going to break. There wasn't anything he could do to make her tell.  
"Terry's pregnant, isn't she?" Charlie said again, her tone had indicated that he'd guessed right. Amita leaned back in the plastic waiting room chair, her arms folded across her chest, a defiant look in her eyes. She wasn't telling.  
Charlie took her response, or lack thereof, as a yes. He was happy for Terry. It was good that things were working out for her and her husband. He was kind of surprised that she was coming back to LA though.

_

* * *

_

_Don hovered in that empty void in the space between life and death. He felt no pain. He saw parts of his life flash before him. He saw him and Charlie as children, and on through their high school graduation. He saw his college days, and his short baseball career, his time at the Academy, and his dates with Terry, his work in fugitive recovery, followed by his return to LA. He saw his mother's struggle with cancer, and then her funeral. He saw him and Charlie working together on a case. He saw himself and Terry, and the night they'd shared together, shortly before she'd left. Then, he saw the most perplexing vision of all, Terry, sitting in a rocking chair, holding a tiny baby, and smiling up at a man he recognized as himself. Was he seeing his future? God, he hoped so. He had to wake up. Don tried to force his eyes open, but his body wouldn't obey. He couldn't even feel his body anymore. Was he dead? He couldn't be. He had to go back. Terry needed him, he could feel it._


	4. Thoughts In My Head

**Thoughts In My Head:**

**7:43am One Hour Out Of Los Angeles**

Terry sat rigidly in her seat, staring straight ahead, eating a bag of airline peanuts, and nursing a cup of decaf coffee. After she'd gotten off the phone with Amita, she had gone directly to her office. She explained the situation to the director, and had somehow managed to get her transfer 'hurried along'. Then, she'd booked the earliest flight to LA she could find, packed her clothes and valuables, and left for the airport. This is exactly why she was now sitting in Coach, on a Delta red eye flight, less than an hour away from home.

Her hand rested lightly on her flat stomach, her mind sifting through dozens of memories of her past and present. Amita had called her just a few hours ago, telling her that Don had pulled through the surgery, and had been moved to the critical ward of the ICU. The doctors had been able to remove the bullets from his chest and repair his collapsed lung, but he had yet to wake up. Amita had said that the doctors weren't worried, and that he would probably regain consciousness within the next day or so.

Charlie and Amita were going to pick her up at the airport and drive her to the hospital. She was anxious. She hadn't seen any of her friends for months. She also didn't know how she would react when she saw Don. Typically, she would be calm and composed a pillar of strength. But now that she was pregnant, Terry felt like she wasn't the one in control of her emotions anymore. And the prospect of seeing Don, lying in a hospital bed, tubes and wires running in and out of him, made her feel uneasy. Dammit! He'd promised that he'd always be there for her, and he went and got himself shot. Her elbows now rested on the tray table, her head in her hands. Terry knew that it wasn't his fault, or David's, or anyone else's for that matter. The only one to blame was that bastard assassin that Don had been hunting.

The fasten seatbelt sign flashed above her. The captain's voice came over the intercom, telling the plane's passengers that they were beginning their descent into Los Angeles. Terry passed her empty coffee cup to the flight attendant and snapped her tray table closed. Her body itched in anticipation. A part of her was incredibly eager to land at LAX, but another side felt a growing trepidation with every turn of the engines that brought her closer. She was afraid of what she would encounter in LA. She didn't know how she would handle all of the imminent changes in her life. But whether she was nervous or not, her first priority was Don.


	5. Falling Forever

**Falling Forever:**

**9:00am Los Angeles, California: LAX **

Terry pushed the luggage cart through the throngs of people. She scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of Charlie or Amita. She spotted them a few yards away. Charlie had his arm around Amita's waist, and Amita was waving at her. She steered the cart in their direction, a slight smile on her face. It looked as though Charlie had finally gotten his head on straight and asked Amita out.

"Terry," Amita said, giving her a hug. "It's good to see you again. Although I wish it was under better circumstances."  
"Yeah, it's good to see you both," Terry told them.  
Charlie gave her a hug, and took one of her bags in each hand. Terry and Amita each took a bag off of the cart, and the threesome began walking to the parking lot. They chatted idly as they drove through the streets of LA, carefully avoiding sensitive subjects.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Amita asked from the driver's seat.  
Shit. Terry had been so focused on getting to LA as soon as possible, that she hadn't remembered to find a hotel. "Oh no, I don't. I guess I was just so worried. I knew I'd forgotten something," Terry replied distractedly.  
"Well, you're welcome to stay at the house with us. There's plenty of room," he offered.  
"Thanks Charlie, that would be great," she told him.

Ten minutes later, they pulled into the hospital's visitor parking lot. Terry grabbed her purse, and followed Charlie and Amita into the hospital and through a complicate maze of sterilized hallways. Her apprehension grew with each step she took.

"Terry, before we go in, there's some things you should know," Amita told her as they stopped in front of a room with glass windows.  
Terry said nothing. She was too busy trying to see around the couple, who seemed intent on blocking her view of the room.  
"Don looks bad. He came out of surgery yesterday morning in even worse condition, so he has improved a bit. He's still in critical condition though. They have him on a ventilator, and he's got a feeding tube in his stomach. He's been hooked up to a heart monitor as well," she said.  
"When will he wake up?" Terry asked.  
This time, it was Charlie who answered her. "We don't know. His doctor said that he's not in a coma, but if you ask me, unconscious for a prolonged period of time sure sounds a lot like a coma. The doctors and nurses have suggested that we talk to him, interact. They say it might help him wake up faster."  
Terry nodded solemnly.  
"He's right in here. Dad's been sitting with him,"  
Charlie added, turning around and reaching for the doorknob. It was then that Terry got her first look at Don in nearly three months. He looked like he'd been through a war. He had a tube down his throat, several IV's in his arms, and an array of colored wires and tubes disappearing under his hospital gown. 'He really has been through a war,' Terry thought. She took a deep breath and followed Charlie into the room.

Mr. Eppes was sitting in the chair next to Don's bed. He appeared to be asleep.  
"Dad," Charlie said, "We're back from the airport. Terry's here."  
"Oh, you're back already? Doesn't seem like it's been that long," he replied groggily.  
"How's Don?" Amita asked.  
"The same as when you two left," Alan responded, glancing sadly at his injured son. "Good to see you Terry," he told her enveloping her in a quick hug.  
"You too Mr. Eppes," she replied sincerely.  
Amita nudged Charlie in the ribs. "Why don't you go on home Dad? Get some sleep. You look like you could use it," he suggested.  
"But what about Don?"  
"We'll stay here with Don. We'll all be fine, and I promise to call you if anything changes." Charlie tried again.  
"Oh, well alright, but call me in a few hours," he relented. He bent down to put his shoes back on and picked up his book and car keys.  
"I will Dad. See you later," Charlie told his father as he walked out of the room.

Terry was looking at Don. All she kept thinking was, 'What if he never wakes up?' Then she remembered what Amita had told her, and she quickly pushed the negative thoughts from her mind.

"Come on Charlie, why don't you and me go and get something to eat from the cafeteria," Amita offered.  
Terry needed to be alone with Don.  
"But—"Charlie protested.  
"No buts, Terry can sit with Don for a little while, right Terry?" she asked.  
"Yeah, of course I can. We'll be fine. You guys go on and eat. I'll stay here." Terry knew what Amita was doing, and she was immensely grateful for it. She gave them a slight smile before taking up residence in the chair at Don's bedside.

Terry decided that now was as good a time as any to talk to him. She could let it all out. They were the only two people in the room, and she wasn't sure if he could even hear her. So, she began talking, placing his nearest hand on her stomach, her own on top of his. "Oh Don, why couldn't you have been more careful? You promised me you'd always be there."

_Don felt as if the fog that had muddled his brain had finally cleared. He felt someone sitting next to him, a woman. He strained to hear what she was saying._

"Well, I need you now. You remember that night, just before I left?"

_It was Terry. He would recognize her voice anywhere, but, wasn't she in Washington?_

"What am I saying? Of course you do! Well, guess what? I'm pregnant," she laughed softly. "No, I really am serious. You're going to be a Dad. Can you imagine? It took me five tests and a doctor's visit before I finally allowed myself to believe it."

_Had he heard right? Was Terry pregnant? With his child? He was going to be a Dad!_

"God, I don't know what I'm doing. I need you Don, I really need you," Terry began to cry, holding onto his hand for dear life. All of the pent up emotions of the past few days were catching up with her, as she finally realized the reality of things.

_All he wanted was to be able to wrap his arms around her, to comfort her while she cried._

"This is something that we should be going through together Don, not me alone, with you in a hospital bed. Dammit, this isn't how it was supposed to be. Don, please, if you can hear me, give me a sign. Move your fingers, squeeze my hand, anything!" she pleaded desperately.

_Don concentrated all his efforts on moving his fingers. Just a little bit. At first, his hand wouldn't respond, but after a few more tries, it twitched._

"Don?" Terry asked, she could have sworn she'd felt his hand move. "Don, can you hear me?"

_He tried to squeeze her hand, but it took a lot of strength. He tried again and again, but only succeeded in moving his fingers._

"Don, please wake up, please. Just open your eyes. Come on," she begged.

_He tried to force his eyes open, and unlike his last attempt at opening them, this time, they obeyed. At first, he could only open his eyes a tiny bit, but after a few blinks, he saw Terry looking down at him with concern._

"Don, Don you're awake! That's great!" Terry was on cloud nine. She reached up above his bed and pressed the call button. She frowned slightly as he began to fight the tube that was down his throat. "Don, don't fight it. I know it's uncomfortable, but it's helping you breath," she told him. She looked up as a nurse entered the room.  
"What's going on?" the nurse asked.  
"He just woke up, and now he's fighting the ventilator," Terry explained.  
"Hold on just a moment, I'll go and get the doctor," the nurse replied, rushing out of the room as quickly as she'd entered it.  
"It's okay Don," she told him. "Everything's going to be okay. Did you hear all of what I said earlier, about the baby?"  
He moved his fingers again, and Terry took the gesture as a yes. "So you're happy then?"

_Of course I'm happy. How could I not be? She didn't actually think that I'd be upset, did she? We're going to have a baby. I'm ecstatic. My Dad's going to be extremely pleased. He moved his fingers again, to tell her he was happy about it. He tried to smile, but it made the tube in his throat even more uncomfortable that it already was._

"I'm glad you're happy. I think I'll tell Charlie and your Dad when they get back, Amita already knows. I confessed to her on the phone when she called to tell me about your accident. I was so scared when she told me how bad it was, but now, I'm just glad that you'll be alright," Terry told him. She was about to say something else, when several doctors and nurses came into the room, and she was forced away from Don. "I love you," she said. She saw his arm move and knew that he had heard her.

**

* * *

****Quick A/N:  
**Ok, I hate interrupting my stories woth annoying author's notes, but, it had to be done. I'm thrilled at the response that this story has generated, both on livejournal and I have part of the next chapter written already, but this will probably be the last update for awhile.It's because I'm going out of town for Thanksgiving, and I y won't have access to a computer. :( But I WILL update as soon as I can! I'm glad you all like it so much. If you like this story, you should check out my NCIS fic, it's a one shot right now, but it has two epilogues in the works! I have to go and study for my jury exams! Thanx to all of my reviewers! 

_EvelynRose_

(And incase any of you were confused, the _italics _were Don's thoughts, alternating with Terry's dialogue. :)


	6. I've Got To Breathe

**I've Got To Breathe:**

**11:00am Los Angeles, California: County General**

Charlie and Amita were talking quietly as they walked back to the ICU.  
"Looks like something happened in there," Charlie commented, pointing at a room crowded with doctors and nurses.  
"Charlie, tha-that's Don's room!" she exclaimed.  
Charlie's heart almost stopped when he realized that it was indeed his brother's room that had attracted all the attention.  
"Oh my god," Charlie whispered. He grabbed Amita's hand and drug her in after him.

Two doctors and three nurses surrounded Don's bed. Terry was standing by the window, an expression of joy mixed with concern on her face.  
"Terry, what's going on?" Charlie asked her urgently.  
"Don woke up."  
"He woke up?"  
"Yeah. I was talking to him, and then he squeezed my hand and opened his eyes. They're examining him right now. They don't want to take him off the ventilator yet, so they're going to sedate him and monitor his breathing," Terry explained.  
"Sedated?" Amita asked.  
"He was fighting the tube, so they had to give him some medicine to make him sleep. He might get the tube removed later tonight," she replied.  
"I can't believe it! Well, I guess I'd better go and call Dad. I think this qualifies as 'changes.'" Charlie took one more look at his brother and left the room to go and call his father.

"So, does Don know?" Amita asked Terry once Charlie was out of earshot.  
"Yeah and I think he's happy about it, well I hope he is anyway. I'm telling everyone else later," she responded.  
"I think Charlie may have already figured it out," Amita said, biting her lip.  
"What? How?" Tarry asked incredulously.  
"He heard the end of our phone conversation and bugged me about it for hours. Then he asked me if you were pregnant. I didn't answer, but he thinks he's guessed right."  
"Well, I'll tell him when he gets back," Terry paused as one of Don's doctors approached her.  
"Ms. Lake, we've administered the local anesthetic so he should wake up in about twelve hours, and we'll see about removing the tube then. Ok?" the doctor told the two women.  
Terry nodded.  
"Alright then, someone will be by to check on Agent Eppes in a few hours," the doctor replied.  
"Thank you doctor," Terry said.

"See, I told you everything would be ok!" Amita told her.  
"You know, when I got married I really thought I loved John. But, the way I felt with him, it-it just doesn't compare to the way I feel when I'm with Don. He awakens all these feelings inside of me. Makes me feel things I haven't felt since our Academy days. I love him. So much more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. You can't imagine how scared I was when you told me about his lungs. It was bad enough that he'd been shot, but the news just seemed to be getting worse and worse. All I could think about was our child, the life we'd created together, growing up without a father. I love him, with all my heart. It makes me so happy to know that he's going to be ok, that we're going to be ok." Terry wiped the tears from her face and reclaimed her spot beside Don. "You've been a great friend Amita. I really appreciate it," she told her.

They sat in silence listening to the steady beeps of the heart monitor until Charlie returned. Amita winked at her and Terry gripped Don's nearest hand.  
"Charlie I have something to tell you," she began.  
"Ok," he responded.  
"Well, I'm going to have a baby!" Terry told him excitedly.  
"That's great. So you're back with your ex then?" Charlie asked. He was confused now.  
Amita stifled a laugh with her hand. '_Wow,'_ Terry thought, '_for being so smart, he sure is dumb when it's nothing to do with math.'  
_"Charlie, I don't think you get it," his girlfriend chided. '_I mean come on, she's holding his brother's hand when she says she's pregnant. If that's not a hint, then I don't know what is,'_ Amita thought wryly.  
"What I mean to say, is that you're going to have a little niece or nephew to spoil in six months," Terry smiled at the look on his face.  
Charlie was flabbergasted. His gaze shifted between his injured brother and the woman clutching his hand. _'Well I can't say I was expecting it, but I'm not exactly surprised,'_ he thought.  
"So? You and Don huh?" he replied.  
Terry nodded. "Yeah, me and Don?"  
"Congratulations Terry! Does Don know yet?" Charlie asked, bending down to wrap her in a hug.  
"Yeah, I guess he heard me while I was talking to him, just before he woke up," Terry began.

Charlie settled into the other chair with Amita, listening as Terry spoke.  
"I was holding his hand and just talking. I told him about the baby and then the reality of things just came crashing down. I was angry. Angry at Don, and that son of a bitch that shot him. I begged him to give me some kind of sign that he could hear me, that he would be ok. Then he moved his hand. I was so happy, I encouraged him to wake up, and he did." Terry smiled as she finished telling the two about the events that had occurred while they were gone.  
"I wish we'd been here," Charlie said.  
"I do too, but Don will be awake again later tonight, and he might even be able to talk then too!" the eagerness was audible in her voice.  
"So what did your dad say?" Amita asked Charlie.  
"He thought I was joking around at first. Then once he believed me, he was mad that I'd made him go home earlier. He said he'd be here in about twenty minutes," he replied.

Terry smiled and turned her attention back to Don, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest with each breath. They would be ok.


	7. 50,000 Tears I've Cried

**50,000 Tears I've Cried:**

**2:45pm Los Angeles, California: FBI Offices**

"David," Megan said as she approached his desk.  
"Yeah?"  
"Merrick says you're team leader until further notice, and that we have a new agent coming in from DC," she told him.  
A saddened look flickered across David's face. This was Don's team, and he refused to take his place.  
"Who's the new guy?" he asked.  
"Girl, Agent Lake," Megan responded.  
"Lake?" David repeated, "Terry Lake?"  
"Yeah, I think that was her name. Merrick said she requested a transfer here."  
"Then why isn't she the team leader? She's senior agent."  
"She was the one who left, right?" Megan asked.  
"Yeah, a couple of months ago." _'I'll bet she's here for Don,'_ David thought.  
"This might explain why she's not team leader," Megan said, looking the sheet of paper in her hand, "She's been put on desk duty."  
David didn't know what to say to that. Terry was an experienced field agent; she had taught him the ropes of the LA offices. "Charlie called about an hour ago?" he replied.  
"What did he say?" there was a hint of fear in her voice.  
"Don woke up."  
"He did? He's awake?" she had been so sure he wasn't going to make it. Hearing otherwise was like a breath of fresh air.  
"He was awake, but they have to keep him asleep because the doctors want to keep him on the ventilator for a little while longer," David explained.  
"It's good that Don's improving. That family doesn't need anymore heartache," she responded.

**

* * *

****8:15pm Los Angeles, California: County General**

They had decided to eat in shifts. Charlie and Amita had insisted that Terry go and eat first. She was rather reluctant to leave Don's side, but after several minutes of arguing, Alan was finally able to usher her out of the room and towards the hospital's cafeteria.

"Would you like some coffee?" Mr. Eppes asked her, reaching for two Styrofoam cups from the stack.  
"Yes please. Decaf," Terry replied.  
"Since when do you drink decaf? You always had 'the strongest coffee you can find' when you were at the house," he questioned. Something was definitely going on, he just didn't quite know what. Ever since he'd gotten back to the hospital, his youngest son had been wearing this look on his face that just screamed 'I know something you don't know.'  
"I just started to. I kind of had no choice," she responded. Just vague enough to peak his interest, then she'd drop the 'Your son got me pregnant,' bomb.

Terry began eating almost as soon as they sat down, She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until a plate full of food was placed in front of her.  
They chatted idly, talking about random things like the weather, or how it was in Washington.  
"Mr. Eppes," Terry started.  
"Please, call me Alan. You've known me long enough," he corrected.  
"Alan," she began again. "I have something to tell you. I think that you're going to be very happy about it, and I'm sure Don would want me to tell you," she paused, taking a deep breath, "Mr. Eppes, I'm pregnant."  
"You're what?" he asked, bewildered.  
"Pregnant. I'm-I mean-Don and I, we're having a baby. Together," she clarified.  
"Oh you are?" he said, a glint of happiness in his eye. "So does that mean that I'm going to be a grandpa?"  
"It sure does," Terry replied with a laugh.  
"How far along are you?" Alan asked her, he was just curious.  
Terry knew what he was getting at. "Three and a half months, and before you ask, it was just before I left for DC," she said, adding that last bit to avoid the awkward question.

**11:30pm**

Several hours later, Don felt himself begin to awaken. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. Charlie was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, Amita curled up against him with her head on his chest. His dad was sitting stiffly in the chair by the window. Don's gaze at lest set on the one person he most wanted to see. Terry slept peacefully in the chair by his bed, one hand resting on her stomach and the other grasping his own hand.  
He could feel the tube in his throat and the forced inflation of his lungs. It was an uncomfortable feeling. It made his feel increasingly helpless. Don started moving his hand, trying to get Terry to wake up. His wrist moved easily, so he attempted to move the rest of his arm. He tried to move a bit more as Terry began to stir. She mumbled something incoherent so he shook her hand gently again.

Terry opened her eyes blearily, blinking away the sleep. She felt someone shaking her hand and it took a minute for her to register that it was Don. He was awake again. She reached above his bed and pressed the call button.  
"It's ok Don," she whispered, "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."  
She turned away from the bed and called out to the other occupants of the room. Amita came to first and elbowed Charlie in the ribs. They both looked at her, confused looks on their faces.  
"He woke up again!" Terry told them. Charlie stood up from his position on the floor and went to wake his father.  
Minutes later a nurse and a doctor appeared and hurried Terry and the others out of the room.

They waited anxiously in the hall to find out what was going on. When Don's doctor joined them in the hallway, a small smile on his face, things finally started looking up.  
"We've taken Agent Eppes off of life support, so he's no longer intubated. We're going to keep a close watch on him, just to make sure that he's breathing ok on his own. He'll have to stay here in the ICU for the next couple of days. With a gunshot wound that severe, it's a wonder he made it through surgery alive. Now his condition is still critical, but he's stable. As long as there are no complications, I expect to be able to move him upstairs to a private room sometime next week. Ok?" the doctor finished.  
"Yes, thank you doctor. Thank you so much," Alan told him.  
"Not at all," the doctor replied before excusing himself and continuing down the corridor.

They went back into the room in good spirits. Terry reclaimed her spot next to Don. She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
He reached his hand out and lightly touched her stomach. "So," Don whispered softly, "We're really gonna have a baby?" It was more of a statement than a question, but he needed to hear it again.  
"Yes Don, we're really having a baby," Terry confirmed with a smile. A tear rolled down Don's cheek as he too, began to smile.


End file.
